Beer gardens, restaurants, more: These new businesses are open in Cayce, West Columbia
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down regular business across the country a year ago, many feared the legal requirement to close their doors could cause many small businesses to close permanently.
But now, as vaccination rates rise and health officials say it’s safe for vaccinated people to go out without face coverings, some are venturing out again for the first time since the coronavirus hit. West of the Congaree River, they will find some new businesses that have actually opened during the pandemic.
Today, the West Columbia river district boasts two beer gardens. WECO Bottle and Biergarten, run by the Whig owner Phill Blair, opened in late 2019 just a few months before the shut down in a former dog groomer’s on Meeting Street. Savage Craft Ale Works followed suit on Center Street this past January, opening a brewery in the city’s former jailhouse.
The river district has also added new dining options with the French-style cafe the Hideout opening in December on State Street, and D’s Wings will open its Meeting Street location June 1. A new barber shop, Gentleman’s Quarters, just recently opened in the Brookland development on Meeting Street that also includes the riverview restaurant Black Rooster.
The river district of West Columbia was so busy despite the pandemic that in January, the city opened more free parking spaces at Sunset Boulevard’s Capitol Square shopping mall to accommodate all the visitors to the area.
Further down State Street, Cayce has touted the revitalization of its River Arts District. Led by Piecewise Coffee in 2019, the area welcomed the new State of the Art gallery and pottery studio to State Street in February. The gallery highlights local artists while also offering an in-house kiln to fire the creations of Cayce residents.
Dialed, a bicycle repair and rental shop, opened in July in a 1930s municipal building on State Street. The bay doors opening to this shop once served the city’s fire department. Owner Jayson Busbee had previously operated the business out of his home, but the physical location offers him a chance to connect with travelers down the Cayce Riverwalk, which has an entrance nearby.
On June 3, the new events venue State and Frink will open near the intersection of those two streets. Sharing space with the offices of MPA Strategies, a public relations firm that relocated to the area last month, State and Frink offers space for social gatherings, retreats, workshops and classes. It also offers gallery space for works by members of the Cayce Arts Guild.
“Launching a new business feels intimidating and thrilling all at the same time,” said owner Ashley Hunter. “As our state reopens, there is a need for spaces that feel safe while also being versatile and affordable so that businesses, nonprofits, organizations and families can begin to come together once again.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
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